About The Windsor Hotel | 5-Star Heritage Hotel in Melbourne

About The Windsor

MELBOURNE’S GRAND HERITAGE HOTEL

The Windsor is Australia’s most loved and renowned grand hotel, pre-dating The Savoy in London, The Plaza and The Waldorf Astoria in New York, The Ritz in Paris, and Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Established in 1883, it combines the classic beauty and architecture of the Victorian age with the graciousness of that bygone era.

This year, the heritage-protected hotel celebrates 140 years of service. Renowned as the home of Afternoon Tea, it has expanded into a collection of hospitality establishments including award-winning restaurants Aru and Sunda (see dining) and gluten-free bakery, Kudo.

Located across the stately Parliament House and next to the famous Princess Theatre, The Windsor is only steps away from Melbourne’s luxury boutiques, theatres, laneways and Chinatown, with the picturesque Treasury, Fitzroy and Carlton Gardens a short walk from our doorstep.

In 1883, shipping magnate George Nipper built his magnificent dream, then known as The Grand Hotel. It was designed by famous architect Charles Webb, and was soon recognised as the most stylish and luxurious accommodation in Melbourne.

The Honourable James Munro acquired the property in 1886. In association with the Honourable James Balfour MLC, Munro embarked on a massive expansion project that doubled the size of the hotel and saw the addition of the Grand Ballroom, the Grand Staircase, and twin cupola-capped towers. Visitors to the towers enjoyed views over Williamstown, the You Yangs, Mount Macedon, and the Dandenong Ranges. The original 200 rooms grew to 360, and The Grand Hotel boasted the latest amenities and five star conveniences: hot and cold water, electric lights, electric bells, and elevators.

At this time, the Temperance Party’s teetotal ideals had achieved a considerable following. Munro is famous for his flamboyant gesture of setting alight the hotel liquor license with the statement: “Well, gentlemen, this is what I think of the license”. And so the property became known as The Grand Coffee Palace.

This change did not prove successful, however. Just 10 years later, in 1897, the liquor license was reinstated, and the name The Grand Hotel was restored.

With its close proximity to Parliament House and Melbourne’s government offices, The Grand Hotel rapidly became associated with politics and politicians. So convenient was this relationship that in February and March 1898, the Drafting Committee for the Federal Constitution worked out the document’s final details from a suite within the hotel.

In the 1920s, a new company was incorporated. A group of investors, including Sir John Monash, purchased the property and began a major renovation. The Grand Ballroom’s unique high Victorian character, considered unfashionable at the time, was hidden, and would remain so for the next sixty years; leadlight windows at each end were replaced with clear glass, the ceiling domes that illuminated the room with natural light were concealed, and the richly patterned Victorian colour scheme was replaced with light pastels.

On 3 June 1923, with renovations complete, the hotel hosted a luncheon attended by His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales. In honour of this occasion, the hotel was appropriately renamed The Windsor.

The Windsor enjoys a long connection with the family of renowned artist Ernest Buckmaster. In 1958, Mr Richard Nesbitt, General Manager of the hotel, happened to walk past Ernest Buckmaster’s last city exhibition and purchased three paintings for the hotel. This was the beginning of a strong connection between the hotel and the family – a connection that continues today, over five decades later. A brochure recounting the living history of Ernest Buckmaster is currently available at the Concierge.

Rising 75 feet above the lobby toward the skylight, the cantilevered Grand Staircase is remarkable both for its scale and its elevation. It is built of Stawell stone, and the landing is decorated with handmade Minton tiles imported from England. The tiles, which had been hidden under old carpets for decades, were rediscovered during the 1983 renovation.

The original domed skylights, the framing for which was still in the ceiling, have been re-glazed with stained glass, illuminating the Grand Ballroom with natural light. Modern craftsmen adopted traditional skills to make the fixtures as authentic as possible; the magnificent brass gasolines have been so faithfully reproduced from photographs that they even include a gas tap on each light.

The Cricketer’s Bar is a city institution; it features an outstanding collection of cricketing memorabilia, courtesy of the prestigious Melbourne Cricket Club, which has honoured The Hotel Windsor by appointing The Cricketers’ Bar custodian of many precious sporting treasures.

Photographs of both English and Australian teams from the 1800s and 1900s adorn the walls, and an autographed Sir Donald Bradman bat occupies pride of place.

Stars from the world of film and theatre have always been drawn to the elegance and style of The Windsor. Sir Laurence and Lady Olivier (Vivien Leigh) stayed during their 1948 season at the Princess Theatre; Sir Robert Helpmann was introduced to the hotel as a child and stayed regularly throughout his life. Celebrated opera performer Emma Calve occupied a suite during her tour of Australia in 1910, and Barry Humphries and Dame Edna Everage are regular guests whenever they are in town.

Keith Michell, Meryl Streep, renowned actors Sir Anthony Hopkins and Gregory Peck have all occupied Suites at The Windsor whilst in Melbourne, as has sporting legend Muhammad Ali.

The Windsor has also been a home away from home for many famous Australians during their stay in Melbourne. Former Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies kept Suite 306 at The Windsor for many years; it is now known as the Sir Robert Menzies Suite in his honour. Other notable international guests included members of the English cricket team, who were frequent guests at the hotel, despite patriotic local factory workers’ efforts to disrupt their sleep by ‘accidentally’ knocking over the empty milk churns in the laneway.

Gallery

EXPLORE OUR ICONIC 5 STAR HOTEL IN MELBOURNE

The Hotel Windsor Melbourne
Victorian Suite Living Room at The Hotel Windsor Melbourne
Windsor Suite Bedroom at The Hotel Windsor Melbourne
Deluxe Room at The Hotel Windsor Melbourne
Windsor Suite Living Room at The Hotel Windsor Melbourne
Junior Suite Bedroom at The Hotel Windsor Melbourne
Junior Suite Living Room at The Hotel Windsor Melbourne
Royal Suite Bedroom at The Hotel Windsor Melbourne
Royal Suite Bedroom at The Hotel Windsor Melbourne
Royal Suite Dining Room at The Hotel Windsor Melbourne
Royal Suite Living Room at The Hotel Windsor Melbourne
Superior Room at The Hotel Windsor Melbourne
Wizards Suite Bedroom at The Hotel Windsor Melbourne
Wizards Suite Mirror Detail at The Hotel Windsor Melbourne
Wizards Suite Living Room at The Hotel Windsor Melbourne
Traditional Room at The Hotel Windsor Melbourne
Victorian Suite Bedroom at The Hotel Windsor Melbourne
Victorian Suite Detail at The Hotel Windsor Melbourne
The Hotel Windsor Melbourne
The Hotel Windsor Melbourne
Wedding At The Windsor Edmund + Amy Wedding
Wedding At The Windsor Edmund + Amy Wedding
Wedding At The Windsor Edmund + Amy Wedding
The Grand Ballroom
Wedding At The Windsor Edmund + Amy Wedding
The Grand Ballroom
The Hotel Windsor Melbourne
The Grand Ballroom
Wedding At The Windsor Edmund + Amy Wedding
Wedding At The Windsor Coleman
Wedding At The Windsor Coleman
Wedding At The Windsor Coleman
Wedding At The Windsor Coleman
Wedding At The Windsor Coleman
Wedding At The Windsor Michelle & Robbie's Wedding
Wedding At The Windsor Michelle & Robbie's Wedding
Wedding At The Windsor Michelle & Robbie's Wedding
Wedding At The Windsor Michelle & Robbie's Wedding
Wedding At The Windsor Michelle & Robbie's Wedding
One Eleven Restaurant Breakfast at One Eleven
One Eleven Restaurant Breakfast at One Eleven
One Eleven Restaurant Afternoon Tea
One Eleven Restaurant Afternoon Tea
The Cricketers Bar Snack Menu
One Eleven Restaurant Breakfast at One Eleven
The Cricketers Bar Bar Menu
The Cricketers Bar Lasagne
The Hotel Windsor Melbourne The Canberra Room
The Hotel Windsor Melbourne The Bourke Room
Masquerade Ball - The Grand Ballroom
Masquerade Ball - The Grand Ballroom
Masquerade Ball - The Grand Ballroom
Masquerade Ball - The Grand Ballroom
Dalia and Justin The Windsor Wedding
Dalia and Justin The Windsor Wedding
Dalia and Justin The Windsor Wedding
Dalia and Justin The Windsor Wedding
Dalia and Justin The Windsor Wedding
Dalia and Justin The Windsor Wedding
Dalia and Justin The Windsor Wedding
Dalia and Justin The Windsor Wedding
Dalia and Justin The Windsor Wedding
Dalia and Justin The Windsor Wedding
Dalia and Justin The Windsor Wedding
Grand Ballroom Wedding
Grand Ballroom Wedding
Grand Ballroom Wedding
Grand Ballroom Wedding
Grand Ballroom Wedding
Grand Ballroom Wedding
Grand Ballroom Wedding
Grand Ballroom Wedding